Fascism
Introduction Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalism, that came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe and was influenced by national syndicalism. After the Great Depression there was an increasing interest in simplistic dictatorial solutions, especially a new authoritarian movement known as fascism, because several nations wanted a heroic figure who could help them out of the horrible period they just went through. Etymology Fascism is a system of government that flourished in Europe from the 1920s to the end of World War II. Germany under Adolf Hitler, Italy under Mussolini, and Spain under Franco are examples of fascist states. Fascist governments are dominated by a dictator, who usually possesses a magnetic and charismatic personality, wears an uniform, and rallies his followers by mass parades. Furthermore, the dictator clearly explains his opinion fx. his hatred towards a specific part of the population because of their religion, political standpoint etc., which is often followed by his wish of change; wanting to get rid of the unwanted part of the population. Fascism believes in holiness and in heroism; actions are not influenced by an economic motive, direct or indirect. Early history The ideological roots of fascism can be traced back to the 1880’s, and particularly during the era of the fin-de-siècle mindset. The general mindset was based on a revolt against materialism, rationalism, democracy and the bourgeois society. The fin-de-siècle intellectuals saw society as being one of total chaos, which could only be resolved through the implementation of a massive and total solution in the form of an ‘organized minority’, which must rule over the ‘disorganized majority’. The fin-de-siècle outlook was heavily influenced by various intellectual developments. These developments all had the idea of certain people having particular power and being of importance in common. These ideas included ‘social darwinism’ and the thoughts of prominent writer, Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The Rise of Fascism in Italy By 1912, Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) had obtained the position of editor at the official socialist daily newspaper, Avanti. After having switched position from ardent neutrality, the official socialist position, to intervention in World War 1, Mussolini got expelled from the Socialist party. This resulted in the birth of fascism. In 1919, Mussolini laid the foundation for a new political movement, Fascism, named after his group, the Fascio di Combattimento (League of Combat). Realizing that anticommunism, antistrike activity and nationalist rhetorics combined with brute force would allow the Fascio di Combattimento to seize power, the party went from being a leftist to rightist party in order to gain support from the middle-class who feared the working-class propaganda and the landowners who objected to the agricultural strikes. The use of violence was a vital part of Mussolini’s plans of seizing governmental power. Deliberately creating disorder, Mussolini and the Fascio di Combattimento believed that terrorist tactics eventually would lead to achievement of political party and flourishment of fascism in a disordered environment. Exactly this disorder in society made the Fascists popular among the middle-class who feared of socialism, communist revolution, and disorder. ' '''The Rome March' One particular event is worth mentioning when talking about Mussolini’s seize of power. In a speech to the Fascist Blackshirts on October 24, 1922 exclaimed “Either we are allowed to govern, or we will seize power by marching on Rome”. This was one big bluff, however, it frightened the government and the power was soon turned over to Mussolini and the Fascists. The 29th of October 1922, Mussolini was appointed Prime Minister of Italy by King Victor Emmanuel III. Twenty four hours later, the Fascists Blackshirts marched into Rome in order to make it look like they had gained the power by an armed revolt after the civil war. ' Italian police state ' By 1926, Italy had become a fascist dictatorship with limited freedom of speech which enabled the state to sue any publications that showed disrespect towards the Catholic Church or state. Further, all anti-fascist political parties were outlawed. Though the police never got as efficient as those of Nazi Germany, Mussolini did try to create a single-minded police state. Thus, by 1939, about 66% of the population between eight and eighteen were involved in some sort of fascist youth group. Fascism in Italy and women Reinforcing traditional social attitudes in Italy, the slogan “Woman into the home” flourished among Fascists. Women were regarded home workers and baby producers, which according to Mussolini was “their natural and fundamental mission in life”. Consequently, female employment outside the home was viewed as a distraction from women’s conception. Thus, during the 1930’s, the Fascists encouraged big families, and mothers of many children received gold medals. Even a “Mother and Child” holiday was celebrated December 24 where prizes were awarded for fertility. These attitudes on women were first and foremost due to the fact that the population growth was seen as an indicator of national strength. ' Conclusion ' Mussolini’s fascist state never got as totalitarian as Hitler’s Nazi Germany or ’s Soviet Union. Old institutions like the monarchs remained independent and kept the old Italian structures alive. Furthermore, the compromise with the Catholic Church is an example of this. In order to assure the Catholics support of the Fascist regime, Mussolini’s regime recognized the independence of the Vatican City, granted the church a large grant of money, and recognised it as the sole religion of the state in the Lateran Accords of February 1929. All in all, the Mussolini and the Fascists promised much but delivered less, and soon they were overshadowed by another fascist movement from the North.